Resolve
I don't use stealth. I walk forward boldly. As soon as I step out the door, I meet the guard's eyes, but after checking my mask, he lets me pass. I head straight down the stairs toward the basement. I already know the way to the secret meeting place from tailing Copson and Jade. Creak...
I open the warehouse door and glance around like a dark mage would. Once I'm sure no one is watching, I push the shelf aside. If my behavior seems off, it could raise suspicion. To look as much like Copson as possible, I swagger forward with an arrogant gait. Sneaking with stealth had taken quite a while to reach the door, but walking briskly gets me there quickly.
The moment I round the corner, a vast cavern comes into view. Overwhelming dark magic seeps through the gap of the firmly shut door. A dark mage still stands guard in front of it.
"Show me the sacred artifact."
"Here it is."
I present the artifact Copson had been carrying. The dark mage examines it briefly before returning it. Just as he turns to open the door, he suddenly stops.
"...Wait. Why are you wearing a different robe?"
Damn it. The robe I'm wearing lacks the distinctive patterns of a dark mage's attire—it's just plain black. The guard eyes the unfamiliar robe with suspicion and begins approaching.
"...It got torn. I had no choice but to wear a similar one."
"Is that so. Then why are you using honorifics today? You, who always spoke so rudely without a shred of respect."
Shit. The influence of the clone body must be forcing honorifics out of me. No matter how hard I try to speak casually, the polite speech keeps slipping out.
The dark mage, clearly suspicious, lowers his stance with one hand behind his back. I can sense dark magic gathering—he's preparing to strike at any moment.
"I've only just come to understand the greatness of dark mages. Would that answer suffice?"
".....What?"
"Isn't it only natural? How could someone as lowly as me speak informally to a senior as lofty as the heavens?"
Some might decide to simply eliminate the guard and be done with it. But that would be the worst possible choice. Other dark mages are likely to pass through this area later, and getting caught would only be a matter of time.
I recall the diary on Copson's desk. It mentioned finally being accepted into the order. That means Copson and Jade haven't been dark mages for long—they're lower in rank than the guard at the door. The guard's earlier words also make sense now: "You, who always spoke so rudely." He probably found Copson irritating and looked down on him for his lack of respect toward seniors.
"Kuh... Khahaha!! Yeah, yeah! So you've finally come to your senses!"
The dark mage who had been so suspicious bursts into laughter and claps me on the shoulder. There's no longer any sign he'll attack. My gamble paid off.
"I can't believe how pathetic and foolish I was until now...!"
"Good. Let's keep it up, junior. Go on in! The great one is waiting!"
As I speak with a trembling voice, feigning genuine remorse, the guard accepts it and finally opens the door. These vermin who devour the world still care about seniority? How laughable.
Rumble...! The door opens at last. The wider the gap grows, the faster my heart races.
Stay calm. If they find out I'm not Copson, I'm dead.
My own death wouldn't be a big deal. At worst, the clone's death brings no pain. But the real problem is that once I'm discovered here, no one will be able to stop what happens next—because no one will even know. The academy, and the entire empire, would suffer devastating wounds. I can't let that happen.
I take a slow, deep breath. Thinking about the potential casualties actually steadies my nerves. My heartbeat slows. I must focus. If I fail here, my happy daily life will be trampled.
Overwhelming dark magic detected! Total dark magic reserves have increased!
The door opens completely. Dark magic flows out and begins accumulating within me. I step into the revealed room with a calm expression, as if nothing is amiss.
"...You've arrived. Take a seat."
Purple torches barely illuminate the dark room, just enough to make out positions. From the darkest corner comes a deep, weighty voice. This presence is on an entirely different level from the dark mages I've encountered so far. The gap in power is so vast that I don't even consider resisting.
I sit in an empty chair, following his gaze.
"............"
Silence dominates the room. After a short wait, several dark mages enter and take their seats. Eventually, every seat but one is filled.
An elderly man with a wrinkled bald head and a long white beard surveys the room before speaking.
"...Everyone's here except one. Copson. Where's Jade?"
"Jade says he couldn't attend due to prior commitments."
"Hmm... Is that so. If he skips again, I'll kill him. Remember that."
"....Understood."
The old man suddenly calls Copson's name and looks at me. I startle internally but respond without showing it. He doesn't seem particularly concerned.
By the way... just from speaking, this killing intent?
The old man's glare as he says "I'll kill him" nearly makes me want to flee. The oppressive, otherworldly dread is overwhelming.
...I need to be extremely careful. And grow stronger quickly to deal with him too.
"Let us begin today's gathering. Carmen, start your report."
"Yes. This week, we have drained the life force from a total of fifteen people. Additionally, to lay the groundwork for the great cause..."
The dark mage called Carmen begins detailing his actions. I don't even register the words, only a hollow laugh echoing in my mind.
Ha. Carmen? If my memory serves, he was a quiet student in Class 3-A—the same class as Ariel. I'd memorized the names of her classmates just in case. It must be him.
...Just how deeply has this academy rotted from within? I can't even begin to grasp it.
"Next. Bent."
"Yes. I drained eight people..."
...Bent this time? Carl Bent, who was hitting on Ariel right after I arrived at the academy? My mind feels distant.
The others continue reporting their deeds as the old man calls on them.
"...And finally, Copson."
"I..."
"You probably did nothing, as usual. If there's nothing noteworthy, shut up."
".....Understood."
My turn comes, but fortunately the old man merely glances at me with contempt before looking away. It seems Copson was trash even among dark mages.
"Hmm. Everything seems to be progressing smoothly, aside from a few exceptions. The day our great cause is realized... is not far off."
Great cause. The old man and the dark mages keep emphasizing this "great cause." What exactly are they planning?
"I'll say it again in case any of you brainless vermin have forgotten."
The old man looks my way as he speaks. I avert my gaze awkwardly.
"...Tsk. Our great cause is simply to bring down the Sunrise Empire. That is all."
...Ha. So that's what they were after. These vermin have been plotting to destroy the entire empire. But even with their strength and underhanded methods, toppling the empire seems beyond them.
"Of course, preparations are necessary. The first step toward our great cause begins with the collapse of Sunset Academy."
The academy—a gathering place for the continent's most precious talents and nobles. If it suffers near-total destruction and countless lives are lost, the empire will inevitably fall into chaos. Even the wise Sunrise Emperor couldn't fully contain the rage of parents who lost their children. The vermin would exploit that chaos, burrowing into the wounds and multiplying from within until the empire finally crumbles.
A simple yet effective plan.
...I won't let your "great cause" come to pass.
These vermin who proudly boast of stealing life force and see harming others as natural. They plan to trample this place filled with everyone's youth and hopes, then bring down the empire itself. I won't allow it.
Though disgust and rage make my teeth grind and my body tremble, now is not the time to show it. If anything, I must remain calm and cold. Reckless anger would only cloud my vision and rob me of the will to see this through.
I'll remember this feeling. With a blade forged cold from rage, I'll sever your throats.
"Hmm... That said, we can't attack the academy recklessly. We'll need a distraction."
"........Then Snowfield Village would be ideal. Burn it down to draw their attention, then slowly encroach."
Grind—!
...Correction. I'll make sure you feel hellish torment until the very moment of your deaths.
Snowfield Village. My home, its kind residents, the orphanage, and the children more precious to me than my own life. They dare target that place?
Resolve wells up inside me. My goal becomes crystal clear.
Sufficient dark magic absorbed. Total reserves increased!
Dark Magic Proficiency Lv.4 → Lv.5
New skill unlocked!
I'll use everything I have. No matter the method, I'll crush these vermin. Even if the flames consume me in the process.